Prison Break: After the Shocking Finale, What’s Next?

by Trevor Kimball, May 15, 2009

After four seasons of jail, torture, perilous escapes, stabbings, and death, Michael Scofield’s saga has come to an end. Tonight’s Prison Break series finale solved many of the drama’s ongoing storylines and then, we were treated with a montage that shows our “heroes” four years down the road. And then, the unthinkable happened. While fans have all been expecting a big finish, few expected it would truly end this way.

Prison Break follows architect Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) whose half-brother Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) has been jailed for a murder he didn’t commit. To save his brother’s life, Michael concocts a detailed plan to have himself imprisoned and then to free both of them. Along the way, they realize they’re involved in a far-reaching conspiracy with dire consequences for all around them.

The FOX drama debuted to solid ratings in 2005 but, over time, the audience’s interest has dwindled. In January it was announced that the show had been cancelled and that the story would soon come to a close.

Are you satisfied by the Prison Break finale?

As difficult as it is to take, Michael’s final fate does makes some sense. Executive producer Matt Olmstead told the LA Times, “When we got to the end, the only real, noble thing for Michael is to have it be that what he did — the initial act and the ramifications — were not in vain and weren’t selfish,” Olmstead said. “So, good comes out of it, but he himself would also have to pay a sacrifice.”

Olmstead tells EW that, “It just felt a little weird for us to have Michael and Sara holding hands on the beach walking away — though that would be gratifying in the moment. Knowing that there was pretty much a scorched path behind them in terms of what happened, [having him die] balanced the books for us. He also paid the ultimate sacrifice and, in doing so, everyone else close to him was able to live, including his child.”

Thankfully for fans, the story’s not over just yet. There’s a two-hour made-for-DVD movie that will be released on July 28th. It’s a self-contained story that takes place during the four year fast-forward; soon after the characters are exonerated but before Michael’s death. We’ll learn the details about Michael’s big sacrifice and whether it’s directly tied to his condition.

Olmstead explains the premise this way, “Sara is on the hook for [killing] Michael’s mother and she gets locked up while pregnant. The tables are turned… once a doctor in prison now imprisoned, and Michael’s on the outside. The majority of the cast is back. It’s Michael, Lincoln, Sara, Sucre, T-Bag, Mahone… all the heavy-hitters.”

While Olmstead is sorry that Marshall Allman (Linc’s son) wasn’t available to return for the finale, he doesn’t have any regrets about how they’ve ended the Scofield story. He says, “Every story was exhausted. Every creative juice wrung out. It was a completely worthwhile experience, and I know the other writers [agree]. It was a difficult show to pull off, and we did it.”

What do you think? A fitting end or a disappointment? Either way, will you be buying the DVD in July?

it was a LOUSY ENDING, with no regard for the fans feelings.. there are a thousand and one ways to offset Michael’s “guilt ” without killing him, but the producers rushed everything, in their hurry to get more money, insulting their viewers by having Michael suddenly turn stupid; by having the group escape to Costa Rica who has an Extradition Treaty with the US, therefore they can easily be brought back to the US.. the 4 of them, they’re all conspirators (for the escape of Sara), therefore they’re fugitives, and and we see them freely going around Costa Rica.. you’re… Read more »

I expected to rewatch prison break many times on DVD….. But I will not be watching it again. Michael’s death (though not seen to give true finality) leaves a sour taste in the mouth after we the viewers have shared so much struggle with him. With the gloom and economic doom shrouding the world, was it too much to ask that Michael survives. Where’s the hope? The PB writers are hacks if they think there is any Karma in this ending. Karma would be them ending up as dung beetles in their next life rolling up the scraps of this… Read more »

Few shows are ever allowed a finale … and allot fewer ever make a truly memorable conclusion. Prison Break is unique in my opinion as having accomplished both. I’ll miss the characters and excitement the show presented from the start. Thank you, Olmstead and to the cast of Prison Break!!

I loved this show. i only started watching it a month ago and was able to catch up in time for the series finale. The finale was not great. After everything that michale and sara and everyone else went through, i just thought it would end better than that. Ok, if he dies then ok, but he had no time with sara or his child. He and sara were married for like 10 minutes and then she was taken off to jail. She was charged with killing michales mother, And i do beleive that she should have been exonerated along… Read more »

It really doesn’t matter which ending they chose for the series, because the final season was so poor it really doesn’t matter. The story line just went all over the place in season 4, there was nothing consistent. Everything changed every 10 minutes. That’s not brilliant, that’s not creative, that’s lacking a solid storyline. Really, was anyone *convinced* of what happened in season 4? It all looked so made up at the spot. It is like they thought of the story of each episode just before they recorded it. Besides the story line, the biggest downfall of the last season… Read more »